Social Worker Family Worker (Link Role), West Essex

About The Role

We’re recruiting for Social Workers (Link Family Workers) to join our high-performing Family Solutions team based in West Essex. This is a fantastic opportunity to work within a service described by Ofsted as “exceptional”, delivering early help to families facing multiple and complex challenges.

Family Solutions is part of Essex’s Children recognising when key decisions regarding risks/concerns need to be referred to the Team Manager or Practice Supervisor. Responsible for acting as a source of advice, guidance and support to colleagues in relation to complex cases which would benefit from social work expertise, mentoring and guiding alternatively qualified colleagues in best practice.

Responsibilities include:

• Undertaking holistic assessments of family needs to help create intervention plans and identify how outcomes can be achieved that fully reflect the family and young person’s views and aspirations.
• Delivering interventions, including group work programmes, to support families to make change.
• Facilitating complex family meetings, managing the potentially competing views of families and professionals, in order to find achievable solutions.
• Undertaking individual and group programmes of work to enable children and families to develop their skills to resolve issues and problems themselves; providing information and accompanying families to help access other local services.
• Providing specific practical, personal and emotional support to families in their homes or other settings as part of an agreed plan in order to achieve agreed and sustainable family outcomes.
• Actively participating in regular supervision in order to review work and ensure effective interventions for families.
• Ensuring that the principles of effective practice are fully embedded in service delivery; working collaboratively with staff and partners to ensure effective risk management in line with the thresholds of the Effective Support and Guidance document.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England, and post-ASYE.
• Recent experience in frontline children’s services, experience of completing assessment and managing CIN and or CP Cases.
• At least two years’ experience post qualifying.
• A strong commitment to uphold the standards and values of the social work profession.
• Evidence of continuing professional development with good knowledge in relevant professional area and commitment to the principles of evidence-based practice.
• Significant practical experience of working with families with multiple and complex needs.
• Effective communication skills, good problem solving and assessment skills with a demonstrable track record of building and sustaining positive professional relationships with individuals and families.
• Experience of applying a solution focused approach and providing practical advice and support to families to enable them to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes.
• Ability to work in partnership with others to maximise outcomes for families in line with the Family Solutions operating principles.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and to use supervision appropriately.

Note: The role requires mobility throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings. A driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.